A new Pakistan?

Are there signs that Pakistan is changing? Are there voices in this country that go beyond the demand for Kashmir? Do people want freedom, democracy and development? Are they ready for it?

These are some of the many questions Contributing Editor Sheela Bhatt asked of a group of experienced grassroots workers from the South Asia Partnership organisation in Lahore whose goal is to emancipate women and uplift the poor. Each one of them works in a Pakistani village where people constantly battle harsh social traditions, lack of water and poor education in their daily struggle for survival: